Pupils at schools in Watford go green for youth environment forum (From Watford Observer)

Pupils at schools in Watford go green for youth environment forum

12:50pm Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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School pupils keen on being green are being encouraged to join a new Youth Environment Forum.

Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill has been visiting schools across the town to promote the borough council's new platform for environmental issues.

And on Friday, she addressed teenagers at Parmiter's School, in High Elms Lane, Garston.

Two pupils from each secondary school in the town will meet and discuss green issues as members of the forum.

At Parmiter's, students set up their own “Sustain” group two years ago and set an Eco-Code, which is responsible for organising the collection of paper from every classroom; improving the school's eco system by building bird blocks and developing habitat for amphibians at the Edith Rooney Memorial Garden, an eco-garden; and reducing the school's carbon footprint; recycling cardboard, plastic and metal to create a butterfly meadow filled with plants to attract wildlife.

The group is currently researching possible alternative energy sources for the school, such as solar power and is taking advantage of schemes such as the Feed-In Tariff, where the school sells its surplus energy back to the National Grid.

Mayor Thornhill said: “I received a good response from the students at Parmiter’s who already seem switched on to this agenda through the school’s Sustain group and, with their wealth of experience and enthusiasm in this area, I think they’ll be a strong voice for young people across the town on this vitally important topic.”

James Field, the teacher in charge of sustainability at Parmiter's, added: “I feel it is essential for students to understand and embrace the concept of sustainability as it is the students who will be responsible for the future of the planet.

“The response and commitment of students at Parmiter’s has been excellent, particularly from the Sixth Formers, who have been instrumental in the tremendous progress the school as a whole has made in the area of ecology.”